Par Nobile Fratrum
by Angst Is My Middle Name
Summary: Sequel to 'Famous Last Words'. It's been two months since the incident, and suddenly, after two months of silence, Charlie recieves a warning from a mysterious girl who goes missing later that day. What's going on? Rated for later chapters. Complete!
1. Joy and Sadness

_**Tell me how much you love me... I know you want to! And I know why! BECAUSE I POSTED THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SEQUEL TO 'FAMOUS LAST WORDS'!!!! and you all thought it wouldn't come!! Shun the non-believers! Shun! Sssshhhhuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnah!ahem Anyway, sorry it took me so long, but originally, I hadn't planned on a sequel. It was just something that popped into my widdle head.**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own NUMB3RS, or anything affliated... except this fic._**

**_P.S. The girl's name is pronounced ' Nem-ah-sen-ee' okay?_**

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Charlie's PoV

Charlie smiled as he picked up the chalk in his office at CalSci. The hospital had been so boring, and then he had to stay home for a while and try not to work on P vs. NP in his garage. Now he was back with his chalkboards and numbers, where he belonged. Music blared in his ears, chalk dust covered his hands, dark curls fell in his eyes. It was difficult with the crutches, but he could manage. Amita had told him what she taught in his classes so he could plan what he would go over.

Someone taped him on the shoulder; he jumped almost a foot in the air. He spun around as fast as he could without falling over. A girl of about seventeen stood before him, looking as startled as Charlie felt. Her bluish-grey eyes were wide, dirty-blonde hair hung in her face, and long, slender fingers covered her mouth. He pulled his headphones off, but he could hear the music perfectly.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Well," she said timidly, "I'm… I'm here to give you a warning. There's someone after you. You have to be careful, Professor Eppes. There's someone who wants to hurt you."

"How do you know?"

"He… he had me and I escaped. He let me go because I said I wouldn't tell you, but I had to because I know what he can do. He mentioned your brother, Don, too."

Stunned, Charlie asked, "Who are you? Why would warn me?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"Who are you?" he repeated, "I've never seen you before."

She blushed lightly, saying, "Everyone calls me Nemo. Well… my few friends. It's short for Mnemosyne. I have to go. Just remember what I said!"

She ran off quickly, almost hitting Larry on her way out.

"Who was that, Charles?" he asked.

"Oh, she was doing a project for school. Wanted to know about one of my theorems. So, what's new? Where you staying? Are you still sleeping in your office?"

"No… I'm… uh… I'm staying with Megan. At her house."

"Really? How is that?" Charlie asked, slightly shocked.

"Oh, it's great. Really great. She has a very nice house, y'know. And a big bathtub. It's just… great."

Charlie merely raised his eyebrows at his friend, silently wondering if Larry liked the bathtub better alone or with some company. There was another knock at the office door, and Amita came in, smiling brightly when she saw Charlie.

"Welcome back!" she squealed, hugging him, "How come you didn't tell me you'd be back today? I've been wondering!"

"I wanted to surprise you," he replied, "I guess it worked."

She just nodded before hugging him again.

"I'll just be on my way," Larry said quietly.

The door clicked behind him. Almost immediately, Amita put her hands on Charlie's face and kissed him. He was happy to be back where he belonged, back at CalSci with the girl he loved.

_Don's PoV_

Don was sulking in his cubicle as usual. Two months had already passed since the, implosion, and they still hadn't caught the guy who did it. They had no new leads, and their only suspect was nowhere to be found. He's vanished from right under their very noses. Sometimes, Don felt as though he had a better chance of finding the Holy Grail than their suspect. He felt bad when he lashed out at the team to look harder and to be more vigilant. Colby could often be seen shooting Don dirty looks when he wasn't looking and whispering darkly with David at his cubicle. Megan was drinking more coffee than usual (which was quite an accomplishment) and hushed Colby and David whenever Don came into sight.

_ They understand_, he thought, _They know why I'm pushing them so hard, don't they? They want to get this guy, too… don't they?_

He had also temporarily abandoned his apartment, choosing instead to stay with his father and brother. Charlie had been a bit of a mess for the first two weeks, jumping at loud noises and trembling slightly whenever the floor creaked. Done knew it was bound to happen. You didn't go through something like that and not be somewhat unstable. He'd been the same way after his first fire fight.

_ I never should've brought Charlie_, he thought. _but he said would help him with his equations. Why can't I ever say 'no' to him?_

"Don?"

He jumped slightly and turned. Megan was standing behind him; she looked rather frazzled.

"Don, we're going out for dinner. You wanna join us?"

"No. I'm really tired. I'll just go home. Thanks anyway," he replied.

He left the radio off on his drive home. He'd also been more paranoid than usual, feeling the need to investigate every little noise he heard. It was the most paranoid he'd ever been because this time, he didn't just have himself to look after; he had to worry about Charlie, too. He would rather die than see anything bad happen to Charlie again, especially if it was his fault.

"It happened once, and it won't happen again," he muttered.

He hitched a fake smile (he hoped it looked sincere) onto his face and went inside. Charlie was clumsily trying to help their father set the table with paper plates, while Alan Eppes cooked in the kitchen; the smell was divine.

"Hey, Pop. Smells great in here. What's for dinner?" Don asked.

"I made sloppy joe's. Come on, help your brother set the table while I finish up here."

He grabbed some napkins and got ketchup for their French fries.

"Don! You forgot the honey mustard sauce!" Charlie whined playfully, "You know I don't use ketchup!"

"Of course, how could I forget, buddy?"

He was pleased to find himself actually smiling. It had been a long time since he'd had a true smile on his face. When he got back to the dining room, Charlie was giggling at something their father had said, and their father was laughing loudly. Don chuckled. It was going to be a great evening.

_Charlie's PoV_

It was the best dinner Charlie had had in a while, especially because Don was there and in a good mood. Their father told them funny stories about each other and about things that happened at work. At one point, Charlie thought the neighbours might call the cops on them for disturbing the peace because they were laughing so loud. He even laughed to the point of tears when Alan told a particularly embarrassing tale about Don but was paid back when Don told one about him in high school.

Of course, then the Kings' season opener was on, and only a power outage would stop the Eppes men from watching it.

"Hurry up, you two," Don called from the living room, "the game' comin' on!"

"Alright, alright! We're comin'!" Charlie called from the kitchen.

"NO! Not a public service announcement! Not now!"

Charlie crutched his way into the living room. Don was glaring and scowling at the TV. He looked at the screen and nearly dropped his crutches. He quickly snatched the remote from Don to turn the volume.

"Charlie, what the-"

"Quiet!"

"Mnemosyne 'Nemo' Burrowes was seen at this convenience store this afternoon. If you have any information regarding her whereabouts, please call the number at the bottom of your screen. Thank you. We now return you to the Kings' season opener."

"Hey, Chuck… buddy, what's wrong?" Don asked quietly, guiding him to the couch, "Talk to me."

Charlie took a deep breath, then said, "She got taken because she warned me about him. Greene. The guy you're looking for. He found out and took her… all because she warned me about him."

He mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds before putting his face in is hands. He felt Don's hand on his back. Alan Eppes, who had missed this episode, called from the kitchen, "Remember, Charlie! I've gotta take you to the doctor's tomorrow to get your cast off!"

Charlie called an affirmative through his fingers. He'd almost forgotten. He managed a fake smile when their father came out and throughout the Kings-Coyotes game. However, when he went to bed shortly afterwards, he could not escape the guilt that so restlessly pursued him.

_finis chapter one

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**_By the way... Charlie likes honey mustard sauce... because I like honey mustard sauce. And I thought it would be cute for him to whine. Lemme know what you think! You know how to do it! Oh, and if you don't know, it's the Los Angeles Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes; they're NHL teams._**


	2. The Reason For My Feelings

_**Sorry if it's a bit short, but that was the best place to cut it. Also, my apologies for being so slow getting this chapter up. I really only write during school, and my teachers have been givng a lot of classwork lately. I'm afraid the next chapter will take a while as well. I only just started it today...**_

**_Anyway... standard disclaimer applies... as usual..._**

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Charlie's PoV

"Hurry up! You don't wanna be late to get your cast off, do you, son?"

Charlie opened his eyes slowly. It could not be morning already; he'd barely gotten any sleep. It had been a rather windy evening so the house creaked near constantly. He's also been plagued by visions of the things that could've been happening to Nemo. One dream had been so bad, he'd started crying. All the files he'd read flooded his mind, and he knew he should be worried.

Jason Greene was a psychopath with a high IQ. Not genius level, but he was pretty damn close; that made him all the more frightening. He knew how to manipulate people, bend them to his will until they themselves were just as twisted and grotesque. The file called him a "bibliophile of the worst kind", which made Charlie wonder what was so bad about his love of books and what type of books he had. It made him shudder to think about it.

"Charlie! Hurry up!"

Finally, he pulled himself away from his warm cocoon of blankets and crutched his way to the bathroom. He decided that he would shower after he got his cast off. He'd probably want to scrub down that leg, anyway; he was sure it was a bit gross. When he went downstairs, both Don and Alan were seated at the table, eating pancakes. Charlie scowled; he hated pancakes. Instead, he pulled a Granny Smith apple out of the fridge. The other two Eppes men looked content and well-rested. At least Don didn't look worried like he had been, but he also knew that Don was quite adept at hiding how he felt.

"Ready to go?" Alan asked.

Charlie just nodded, his mouth full of apple. He dropped the core into the trash can while Don and their father cleaned up the table.

"How come you're not at work, Don?" Charlie asked.

"I'm going with you," he replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I requested off the day after your last appointment. I don't wanna miss my little brother getting his first cast off."

Charlie smiled.

_Alan's PoV_

Alan was secretly very happy that both his sons stayed in the house. Having come so close to losing them in one swift second, he worried when they left a 15-foot radius of him. He _hated _the feeling in his stomach when they left for work, wondering if they would come back upset or hurt… or if they would even would come back at all. The mere thoughts churned his stomach. Of course, he knew that's the way any parent would feel. He supposed that's the way Army parents felt when their children went away for war. He supposed it was.

However, he knew the only reason that Don stayed was to look after Charlie. He fully blamed himself for Charlie being hurt and jumpy. If Charlie were okay, Don would not have stayed with them. He would do his usual of stopping by for meals or to ask Charlie for help on a case. Alan knew his oldest son didn't mean to behave in this way, but he couldn't help getting slightly annoyed with him for it.

"Hey, Pop, you missed the turn again," Don said calmly.

"I did?! I hate that turn! You can't find it far enough ahead!" Alan exclaimed, making a U-turn and going back.

Charlie almost fell getting out of the car, but thankfully Don was there to catch him. Alan was proud of Don in this whole matter. He had taken off or gone in late for all of Charlie's appointments, regardless of whether he needed to or not. It was especially helpful for Charlie. Even as a child, Charlie had never liked going to the doctor's office, and after Margaret died, he'd hated them more. He wouldn't throw a tantrum like he used to but instead would pout and sulk the entire day, refusing to speak to his father or brother or whoever took him there.

Thankfully, today he was less sulky. He spoke a little bit to the two other men that morning, but once he got into the waiting room, he put his pout back on and glared at the wall until the nurse called for them to go in. He did not stop pouting while answering the doctor's questions. Alan just smirked. No matter how old Charlie got, this always made him act five years old again.

_Don's PoV_

Don always hated taking Charlie to the doctor's office. Charlie always put up a big fuss when he was little, and he'd just gone from loud tantrums to sulking quietly. Then, he had to deal with the silent treatment for the rest of the day. However, he knew it had to be done, and secretly, he knew that _he_ was the one Charlie would prefer to have near for this. He could remember the first time Charlie had to go to the doctor's after their mother died.

Charlie had protested loudly the whole way there, Don gritting his teeth to keep from shouting at him. He then refused to get out of the car once they got there.

"Charlie! Stop being unreasonable! Get out of the car!" Don half-shouted.

"No! I won't!"

"You're acting like a child! Cut it out and _grow up_!"

"Why should I?! They told Mom they'd fix her and make her better, and they didn't!" Charlie yelled from the backseat, "They lied to her _and_ us! What makes you think they won't do it again?!"

Don froze. He did not have an answer for that; he knew Charlie was right. He sighed. He wished he wouldn't have to play this card, but it had to be done.

"Yes, Charlie, I know they said they'd fix Mom," he said quietly, climbing into the backseat beside his brother, "I was there. But you're an adult now, and you can't act like this. Mom wouldn't want you to act like this."

Charlie's eyes got a little wider, and tears started to glisten in them.

"C'mon, Charlie. We'll be late for your check-up."

He just nodded, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand before climbing out with Don. The only thing Charlie hated more than the doctor's office was the hospital. Everyday after he woke up, he asked when he could go home… five or six times a day. So Don, being the wonderful big brother he was, told the doctors he'd stay until Charlie could go home, too. Everyone was happy.

"You have to use _that_?!" Charlie half-shouted.

The orthopaedist was wielding what appeared to be a small, hand held, circular saw. Charlie's wide eyes were fearfully fixed on it. Don looked between his brother and the doctor before stepping forward.

"Don't worry, Charlie. It'll be fine," he said quietly, "You've seen doctors do the same thing to me before. Don't worry."

However, Charlie did not look any calmer, so Don took his hand and held it. Charlie squeezed it tightly. The orthopaedist started up the little saw; Don thought his little brother would break his hand. His eyes were squeezed shut, his other hand clutching the leg of his sweatpants. He knew Charlie wasn't in any pain, but it hurt him to see Charlie like that. He'd always hated taking Charlie to the doctor's.

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**_Tee-hee... pancakes...sorry, but I laughed when I wrote those lines. I thought they were funny at the time..._**

**_BTW... if you want to see a good movie, watch "Boy Meets Girl". It was made in 1938 and is in black and white, but James Cagney was awesome!!! So rent it or something..._**

**_Third chapter will be up AQAP!_**


	3. Peace At Last?

_**Yes, folks! The third chapter is finally here! w00t! And lookie! I brought back Colby's PoV! (Aren't you all so happy?)**_

_**Standard disclaimer still applies. (like it'll ever NOT.)**

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Colby's PoV

"Don comin' in today?" Colby asked.

"Nope," Megan replied, "He went with Alan and Charlie to the doctor's for Charlie to get his cast off."

_ Good,_ he thought, _Don's been awful lately. I know he wants justice, but damn! He's kind of over-doing it…_

Don had actually forbade them from working any case other than the implosion and finding Jason Greene. He had removed all other files from their desks and replaced them with the Greene files. He shouted at them on a near constant basis. When they said they couldn't find anything, he told them to look harder, deeper into his past to see where he might've gone to hide. However, the only thing they could do was mutter darkly amongst themselves and throw him angry, discontented glances when his back was turned… which they all did. Even kind, sweet Megan shot him the occasional dirty look.

Every night, Colby was almost too tired to drive home, and he often fell asleep right after laying down. It was the same way with Megan and David; they told him. He had even seriously contemplated asking for a temporary transfer, but the part of him that was still friends with Don and Charlie won out. The three of them took it easy that day, and Colby decided that he would go and visit the Eppes. He wanted to see Don in a good mood, and he hadn't seen Charlie or Alan at all. Maybe he'd even get some dinner while he was there. He smirked at his own thoughts.

He pulled in front of the house and jammed the car into park. A car across the street squealed its tires and flew off down the road. Colby shook his head. Alan peered out of the door.

"Hey! Come in! Come in!" he said, "Haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

"Great, great. How 'bout you?"

"I'm fine. You here to see Don and Charlie? They're in the dining room."

Colby traced the familiar path to the dining room and found the two brothers setting the table.

"Hey, Colby, what are you doing here? Come to mooch another meal off us?" Don asked with a smirk.

"A man can't come and visit his friends? Just droppin' by. How're you doin', Charlie?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Look… I got my cast off today!" the professor replied excitedly, "No more crutches!"

"Alright! Lookin' good, Whiz Kid. I know how you feel. Broke my arm when I was twelve. I was so happy when I that cast off, I broke it again," Colby said, "Still dunno what I was thinking, jumpin' outa that tree…"

"Are you staying for dinner, Colby?" Charlie asked.

"I couldn't. I don't wanna be a-"

"No! You'll stay. I know that's half the reason you came over," Don said slyly, "You never pass up a free meal."

"Well… if you insist…"

_Don's PoV_

Don was happy to see Colby. He was afraid his whole team hated him by now. Colby arriving had been among the highlights of his day. Surprisingly, it had been a good day. Charlie wasn't as angry as Don thought he would be. He was silent on the ride home, but he spoke after an hour, the Kings were supposed to cream the Ducks, and Dad was making his favourite food for dinner. (It just so happened that it was Charlie's favourite, too.)

"So, why're you here by yourself?" he asked Colby, "Megan and David didn't wanna come?"

"I didn't know I was coming myself until I started driving home," he replied, "I was hopin' to catch you in a good mood. That and I hadn't seen Charlie or your dad for almost two months. Just thought I'd drop in and say 'hi'."

Don smirked, saying, "And you were hoping to get a free meal."

Colby smirked.

"That was the _last_ thing on my mind."

They heard a clatter and turned toward the kitchen. Charlie was bent over, picking up some silverware. He quickly dropped them in the sink before collecting some more and hurrying to put it at the fourth place on the table. Don smiled a little bigger. Charlie seemed very excited to have people other than Don, their father, and Larry in the house. He'd hated the almost disappointed look in his brother's eyes when the same old people walked through the door. His face would light up when a knock sounded at the door, then fade when it was only the UPS or FedEx person.

"It's ready, boys!" Alan called from the kitchen.

Don took his usual seat, as did Charlie, both men motioning for Colby to sit in the chair beside Don. Colby's eyes went wide at the pot Alan was carrying out to the table. It was enormous and unwieldy, but Alan deposited it onto the table with unparalleled skill. Charlie's eyes had followed their father from the kitchen, eyeing the pot hungrily. When the lid was pulled off, Don thought Colby would faint from the wonderful. Indeed, it was one of the best smells that had ever wafted through the house…

_Charlie's PoV_

"I _love_ Dad's chicken-vegetable soup!" Charlie exclaimed, doing a strange, little happy dance in his chair.

The three other men laughed at him. He looked at Don through the slight haze of steam and smiled. Don was laughing, a loud laugh of pure joy that he had not heard in a while. While they had been laughing the night before, it had not been a laugh like this. It rang true, like he was happy at last. The last time he'd heard it was before the incident. They had been playing Scrabble, and they _always_ laughed at Charlie during Scrabble.

"It… it smells great," Colby stammered.

"Yeah, wait 'til you eat it. You'll never like any other soup again," Don said, grabbing the ladle, "Here- guests first."

The Eppes men watched Colby closely. He turned a little pink as he blew on the spoon.

"This is the best thing I've ever eaten," he said with a mouth full of soup.

"Yes! Alright, let's eat!" Charlie half-shouted, "Can you get me some, Don?"

"Alright, alright… gimme your bowl… there ya go. Yours, too, Pop? Fine, you made it… how's that? Finally, my turn!"

Don gave a an odd laugh and sat down with his bowl. The first bowl was a silent affair, everyone concentrated on their food. After that, the joking started. Everyone made fun of everyone else, Don and Charlie telling stories on each other from high school until Colby was in tears and had to excuse himself from the table. At one point, beer came out of Don's nose; he leapt up from his chair cursing about the pain. (Everyone else just laughed.) Charlie choked on a piece of chicken, and Alan accidentally sprayed soup across the table when Don told one on him. It was the best dinner Charlie had had since their mother died.

Colby stayed a while longer, until the Kings-Ducks game was over. (The Kings had a magnificent 6-1 victory.) They all exchanged good-byes when the agent left, then went on to cleaning up the table. Don grabbed a beer for everyone, and they all sat down to watch the post-game report and the interview with Jeremy Roenick. (He scored a hat trick.) When 10:30 rolled around, Charlie yawned loudly and went to bed. He had to be at CalSci for classes tomorrow, after all.

Thankfully, he had peaceful night of sleep, without worrying about the creaky old house or Nemo. He decided to ride his bike to class that day; he hadn't done it a while because of the cast. It was a gorgeous morning for October.

"Morning, Charles," Larry said jovially as Charlie passed his office, "Oh!, you got your cast off yesterday. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Larry."

Charlie kept walking to his own office before he went to his class to put his bike away. He turned to find someone unexpected in his office.

"N-Nemo? Where's you come from? What are y-"

He swallowed She had a gun on him, shaky but still able to do some damage. Tears rolled down her face as she said, "Please come with me, Professor Eppes. I'm sorry."

"I… I thought you'd been… been-"

"I was. He said he'd blow out my brains and leave my body on your front porch if I didn't do as he said," she whispered, "I'm not doing this because I don't want to die, because that would be selfish. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone. Please… just come with me."

Charlie was numb as he watched Nemo put away the gun and take his arm to lead him to a waiting car. Well… he hoped it was a car, anyway. He just muttered family emergency to anyone who asked. He wanted to talk, to ask her what had happened, why she was really there, but his voice wouldn't work. He just followed her out of the building and off-campus. She led him to a blue, four door pick-up truck and opened a rear door. Her eyes flicked from Charlie to the rear of the cab, silently begging him to get. He climbed in, fear gnawing at his heart. It was as though he had lockjaw. As much as he wanted to speak, to ask questions, his jaw would not move for the words to come out.

"Well, hello. Pleasure to meet you at last, my dear professor," Greene said happily from the front seat, "I hope I don't have to kill you. Of course, that will depend quite heavily on your brother. He's quite stubborn, though; I'm not sure Donnie-"

"Don't call him that!" Charlie shouted.

"My, my… aren't _we_ touchy?" his kidnapper giggled, "I suppose you would be, but if you have another outburst, your dear brother _Donnie_ won't have anyone to save. Why don't we just calm down?"

Charlie hated the emphasis Greene had put on 'Donnie', but the fact that he even used it incensed him even more.

_ Only three people can call him 'Donnie',_ he thought angrily, _Dad, Mom, and me. Just us…_

He felt tears prick at his eyes. He blinked furiously, looking out the window and at the floor, not wanting to show any signs of weakness.

_ Hurry, Donnie…I'm scared. Hurry…

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**_Oopsie! Sorry if I made 'em sound like fatties... but we all know we're fatties at heart;) I am! I love y'all like a fat kid loves cake! (Please review. It's not that hard...)_**

**_P.S. Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Another NHL team._**


	4. Hate Is A Strong Word

_**After a long, looooooong hiatus, I'M BACK!!! It was just a whole big thing about how I should have been doing my summer reading work instead of fanfic. (We have block scheduling and only have four classes a semester.) Anyways... here's Chapter Four, at last!**_

_**Disclaimer:...Do I have to go through this again?...**

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Don's PoV

Don had an awkward feeling in his gut. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but it was a bad feeling. He knew he worried more than he should. It wouldn't go away no matter what he did, either. Don walked through the maze of cubicles, got a cup of coffee, checked on the progress of the case, and even got a snack, yet the feeling remained firmly in his gut. He just couldn't shake it. It must've shown in his face as well, because his whole team asked him how he was and/or if he was okay. He was still pondering the feeling when David suddenly came running over.

"Don! Don, Greene's made contact!" he said excitedly, "Hurry, he said he wants to talk to you!"

Don nearly leapt over his desk to get to the conference room. Megan and Colby stood around the phone looking nervous and excited at the same time. He snatched the phone off the receiver.

"What do you want?"

"Just you. Of course, I know you won't give up too easily," Greene said gleefully, "So, I picked up a bargaining item."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he spat.

Greene was silent, however. Don heard him moving the phone around and shout, "Speak!"

Silence reigned for another few seconds before a timid voice spoke.

"D-Don?"

Don had never changed emotions so quickly in his life. The anger and hate that had been boiling only a half a second before was _drowned_ in fear.

"Charlie? Charlie! Where are you?! Did he hurt you? Are you alright?" he asked frantically, "Talk to me, buddy! Buddy!"

"Sorry," Greene said joyfully, "but visiting time is done. You can see him, you know. You just have to find me. Just remember, you don't have just your dear brother to worry about. That girl that went missing? I have her, too. Have a nice day."

The line went dead. Don's hand fell limply to his side, the phone clattering to the floor. Nobody bothered to pick it up. The team all looked at each other sadly, praying the techs got a location. Don turned on his heel and headed for the tech room to find Greene's location. He half-waited for someone to try and stop him, but it was not as though he would've listened to them, anyway.

_ I'll be damned if anyone gets away with doing this to my little brother_, he thought fiercely, Nobody_ gets away with that._

The techs looked up at him in surprise when he burst in.

"Where is he?" Don snapped.

"Are you sure we should tell you? I mean, you're very emotionally involved, sir. Do you think it's wise to-"

"Yes, I do. Tell me, or I get you fired for aiding and abetting or hindering or whatever else I can think of!"

The new girl stammered out a "Y-yes, sir," and handed him a printout of the location. Don merely snatched the paper and left, storming out to one of the black Tahoes. The address on the printout was nearly twenty minutes from the office. He peeled out of the parking lot and went in the direction of Yew Lane. He arrived in ten.

_ Nobody gets away with this unscathed…_

_Larry's PoV_

"Charles? Charles, are you in? Your class is waiting."

Larry cautiously opened the door and stepped inside. Charles was nowhere to be found, but his bicycle was still propped up against the wall. It was quite odd. He went to the office next door.

"James? Have you seen Charles recently? His class is waiting," Larry said.

His fellow professor shook his head. Larry turned to leave, but James called, "Wait! I did see him. He was leaving with a girl. He said something about a family emergency. I didn't pry."

"Oh… thank you, James."

Larry went back to his office and dialled the Eppes home.

"Hello?"

"Alan? This is Larry."

"Oh, hello, Larry. Is everything okay?" Alan asked.

"Well, I was going to ask you the same thing," Larry replied, "Charles said he had a family emergency and left. Is he at home?"

"Emergency? No, everything's fine here. Do you think it could be Don? I'll call his work to see if he's alright. I'll get back to you. 'Bye, Larry."

"G'bye, Alan."

Larry sat back and pondered the situation. Charles didn't lie to people, and if something had happened to Don, he would have called Alan. The girl was the key to it all. Larry didn't know of any girls related to or associated with his friend. Of course, he immediately suspected foul play. He always seemed to plan for the worst, especially when people were not themselves, especially Charles. Charles was a fairly stable person, and usually only a major upheaval could phase him.

"Curious… very curious…" he muttered to himself.

The phone rang, and Larry jumped. It was Alan.

"Larry, as far as I can tell, Don's fine. They haven't seen him in a while, though. Has Charlie shown up there yet?"

"No. I've been waiting for him. Oh dear… I hope they're alright."

"You and me both, Larry. You and me both."

_Charlie's PoV_

Charlie flinched when Greene put the phone against his ear.

"Speak!"

Very timidly, Charlie said, "D-Don?"

"Charlie? Charlie! Where are you?! Did he hurt you? Are you alright?" Don asked frantically, "Talk to me, buddy! Buddy!"

Charlie opened his mouth to respond, but Greene snatched the phone back. He didn't even hear what Greene was saying. Tears stung his eyes, blood pounding in his ears. This whole situation made him want to scream or cry or kick something. This last option was not readily available to him, however, as he was tied to a chair. He looked over to his right; Nemo was tied to a chair, as well. She stared at the wall opposite them, emotionless.

"Why the sad face, professor?" Greene asked, "You should be happy! Why, your dear brother _Donnie_ will be here soon."

Charlie looked up at him, and he became filled with absolute hate. He _hated _this man. He used an innocent girl as a pawn in his sick game, and now he put Don in danger. Charlie mustered up all his hate and courage and spat in his face. Greene flinched and calmly wiped his face, then backhanded Charlie across his cheek. Charlie let out a grunt of pain. When he turned his head back to look at Greene, he found himself staring down the barrel of an old revolver.

"I dare you to try that again, professor. Agent Eppes will find a corpse where his brother was sitting!" Greene shouted.

Charlie swallowed and clenched his jaw.

"But I won't make _you_ pay for that…"

Greene turned quickly and punched Nemo squarely in the face. Her head jerked backwards, then fell limply forward for a second or two before she picked it up. Blood poured from her nose, but she didn't make a sound. Greene struck her a second time, and a third, and a fourth…

"STOP IT!" Charlie screamed, "YOU ASSHOLE! STOP IT!"

He thrashed wildly against his bonds as he screamed. Greene held his fist in a drawn back position and turned to face Charlie. He looked at Charlie curiously for a moment before striking him. Charlie ducked (as best he could) to avoid the blow, but it landed on his head. He blinked as stars popped in his vision. Greene took this lapse of attention to strike his face. He cried out in pain as Greene's fist made contact with his nose. He could feel the warm, sticky blood stream down his face. Another blow landed on his cheek, another on his chin, the other cheek, his temple. He could taste blood in his mouth.

"YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH!"

_Greene's PoV_

Greene spun around. Don Eppes stood in the doorway, his face contorted in rage. He charged at him, and Greene nearly panicked. Then he realised he had the revolver in his hand. He swung the gun up and fired, missing Don by nearly a yard. However, Don stopped in his tracks, temporarily stunned. Greene ran forward and struck Don as hard as he could with the butt of the revolver; he crumpled.

"DON!"

Finally… he had what he desired. His plan was perfect, and they _all_ had done what he'd wanted.

_ What fools these mortals be…

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**Sorry folks, but I'm not sure when Chapter Five will make her appearance. I'm gonna have a crackload of stuff to do this week. But I have it all written up. You'll see it!!!!**


	5. Nobility

_**Hooray!!! A new chapter! Sorry it took me so long... long story short, I had summer reading and had to do it for this semester. So of course... I put it off til the last minute... as usual. Anyway here it is. It's got a bit of language in it, so get over it. If people seem a bit OOC, sorry, but it works in my story. And that's what this is... MINE. **_

**_Disclaimer: see Chapter One_**

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Colby's PoV

_ Where the hell is Don?_, Colby thought, _It doesn't take someone twenty minutes to get an address from the techs. Maybe he's in the bathroom…_

Colby got up from his desk and walked into the men's room. He half expected to hear quiet sobs coming from behind a stall door or angry shouts at no one at all, but it was silent. He frowned slightly and made his way back to his cubicle.

"Was Don in there?" David asked.

"Nope, I dunno where he's at," Colby replied, "Wait… you don't think he…"

"He wouldn't have. He's not stupid, Colby."

They looked at each other for a moment, then rushed to the lab. The techs were now slightly annoyed with this second noisy intrusion.

"Did Don come in here? Did you tell him where Greene is?" David asked hastily.

Everyone's eyes turned to the new girl. She stammered, "I-I did. B-but I d-didn't wanna! He-he made m-me--"

"Just calm down and give us the address," Colby said.

The girl nodded shakily and handed Colby the printout.

"Did you see where he went when he left?"

She shook her head apologetically. David and Colby both smiled at her before leaving to let her know it was okay, but they were worried. It had now been a half-hour since anyone had seen Don, _and_ he had the address of his brother's kidnapper. They gave the news to Megan. She swore and called up the front desk to see if Don had left. She swore again when she put down the receiver.

"He left nearly forty minutes ago. Dammit! Why didn't we stop him?! David, Colby, go put a team together. We're gonna get 'em back," Megan said.

They nodded and turned. Colby looked over at David and could see the (almost) self-loathing look in his eyes; he knew he looked the same way. They both felt like idiots for not realising what Don was about to do.

_Don's PoV_

"YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH!" Don bellowed from the doorway.

Greene was standing in front of Charlie, hitting him, _beating him._ Don could clearly hear his little brother's cries of pain from across the room. He could feel his face contort with rage, and he charged at Greene, fully intending to beat the shit out of him. Ten feet from him, a bullet flew past him about a yard away. He skidded to a halt. Not five seconds later, he was knocked unconscious with the old revolver. He came to a few minutes later when Greene threw cold water on him. He found himself tied to a chair like Charlie and the girl.

"Welcome, Agent Eppes. Thank you for joining us. We've been waiting for you, you see. The party wouldn't be complete without you."

"What the hell do you want with me?" Don snapped, "If you have a problem with me, don't involve them! Let them go!"

"They're here for a reason just like you are!" Greene shouted, "They are here to be part of your torture!"

He quickly pistol-whipped Charlie and the girl. Charlie cried out again; the girl let out a grunt of pain.

"Goddammit! You bastard!"

Don struggled wildly against the rope that bound him to the chair. Charlie laid his head back, his chest heaving. His face was a bloody mess, and so was the girl's. Don could feel something sticky on his face and could tell he didn't look much better than the other two. Greene's revolver had connected with his hairline, and he could feel the blood congealing on his face. Greene smirked evilly, squatting beside him.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked Don in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Don spat in his face. Greene swung his hand back, but he stopped when Don didn't flinch. He put the evil smirk back on his face, standing up. He then swiftly turned and punched Charlie right in the gut. Charlie lurched forward, trying to breathe or cry or anything. Don screamed another curse at Greene as Charlie finally caught his breath. Tears rolled down his face, repeated "ow"s spilling past his lips.

"Tell you what," Greene said, "I'll leave two of you alone. Just two. That way you'll all be tortured equally. Especially you, Agent Eppes. I'll let you decide amongst yourselves. You have… ten minutes."

Greene turned and left. Charlie looked up, still whimpering quietly. The girl picked up her head and looked at Don.

"I'll do it. He can have me," she whispered hoarsely.

"No. no. I can't let you do that," Don replied, "I'm the one he wants. I'll go."

"Don't be silly, Don," Charlie panted, "I'll go. I couldn't let you or Nemo go through that. He can have me."

"No, Charlie, don't even talk like that… you're goin' home to Dad. I'll--"

"Both of you stop arguing," Nemo said loudly, "_I'm_ going. You two are brothers, and you can't be separated by something so… so _impenetrable_ as death. You'll not talk me out of it, either. Neither of you."

"And why should you go? Why not one of us?" Don asked harshly.

She sighed and responded, "Because I'm an orphan with two friends. No one'll really miss me. You two have friends and family and… well… each other. I'd never be so selfish as to split up such a pair of noble brothers who would even consider sacrificing themselves to save someone they don't even know. Now shut up… both of you."

_Charlie's PoV_

Charlie looked at Nemo sadly. He really didn't want her to suffer like he knew she would, but he couldn't argue with her logic. He would hate to be alone without Don, or have Don be without him. However, half of him still wanted to argue, to be tortured in her place. He knew Don felt the same way Don had never been one to accept defeat.

"Come on now… I couldn't let you--" Don began.

"But you will! Now drop it!" she half-shouted.

Charlie looked over at Don; he looked quite defeated. He watched closely as his older brother's breathing quickened as he put his head down. This was not a defeat Don wanted to submit to. They all jumped when the door slammed as Greene came back. He had an evil grin on his face and a case full of who-knows-what in his hand. He rubbed his hands together gleefully and said, in an equally giddy voice, "Well, well…don't keep me waiting. Who is it?"

"Me," Charlie and Nemo said without hesitation.

Don groaned as Greene replied, "Really now? I expected your dear older brother to chivalrously give himself up to save the fair maiden and his kin. I brought these--"(he motioned at the case on the floor) "--just for him. And I thought you were a coward, professor. However, it doesn't matter. You really have no say in this."

"What? What-what do you mean?!"

"I was going to pick the girl _anyway_!

He struck her violently with the revolver on the final word. Her head twisted to the side before coming back to its original position, defiantly facing Greene. Her defiance seemed to egg him on, and he struck her in the stomach. She let out a grunt of pain, blood trickling from her mouth from the first revolver strike. Charlie felt a sob catch in his throat and tears on his face.

"Stop it!" he screamed, "Please, stop!"

Greene did not seem to hear him, however, and continued his beating. Charlie sobbed and screamed at him to stop, but he did not. He looked over at Don. His older brother was turned away from the gruesome scene, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Don! Help me stop him! Please, help m-me stop him. P-lease… D-Don? DAMMIT, HELP ME! STOP HIM!"

Don turned and looked at him. Charlie was amazed at the look on his brother's face. Tears had rolled down his face, his eyes red and a bit glazed over. Charlie knew that this must be harder on his big brother than he could imagine. Don hated being powerless to help someone else… and that's exactly the position they were in.

_Alan's PoV_

Alan was becoming more worried with every second that passed. Neither son had answered his cell phone, and their colleagues hadn't seen them for a while. That wasn't as unusual for Don as it was for Charlie, but they'd been gone for over a half-hour. What worried him most was that they were missing together. If _that _wasn't a parent's worst nightmare, he didn't know what was.

When Larry called asking if Charlie was there, his heart jumped into his throat. If Charlie wasn't at work, and Don wasn't at work, then they were together. However, it was somewhere no one knew about. Horrible images flooded his mind: death, torture, all manner of ghastly things. He paced in an attempt to rid himself of these terrible thoughts, but they refused to leave.

_ Oh, God_, he thought wildly, _just bring my boys home safe… please…

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**_Sixth chapter coming soon! I just have to find time to type it..._**


	6. Violence Begets Violence

_**I'm Back! Back...and much nicer than last time! If anyone was offended by my comments, I am truly sorry. I was just trying to be funny. sigh So here it is... chapter six... w00t-w00t!**_

**_Warning: This particular chapter has some strong language in it. (The F-bomb was dropped several times and to great effect.) I'm sorry, again, if this will offend anyone, but it fits with the context of the story._**

**_Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you it was at the beginning of Chapter 1?_**

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Megan's PoV

Megan scowled in the driver's seat of the black Tahoe, speeding to Yew Lane to find out what the hell Don was doing. She kicked herself mentally over and over. They should've gotten Don pulled from the case the second they heard him say "Charlie" when Greene made contact. Now, God-Knows-What was happening to him, Charlie, and the girl. Greene was a psychopath, and he could do a lot of harm to a person, mentally as well as physically. He had tortured and killed over ten people, all teenagers, boys and girls. She didn't want to think about what he'd do with an audience. Her scowl became more pronounced as she pressed on the accelerator a little harder. Colby made a smart comment about her driving; she told him to shut up.

Once they jumped out of the Tahoes, Megan began shouting orders to the team, positioning them around the building.

"Colby, David! You're with me!" she yelled, "Unless he's got a hostage, do whatever it takes to get him under control. Let's move!"

They raised their weapons in front of them and kicked down the door. Colby advanced in first, followed by David and Megan.

"GREENE! IF YOU DON'T STOP, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO SHOOT YOU!", Colby bellowed, "GREENE! STOP, OR I- PUT THE GUN DOWN! _PUT IT DOWN_! PUT IT-"

_ Bang! _Megan ran to assist her comrade. Colby was standing in the doorway, facing Megan as Greene screamed in the background.

"I don't think you wanna see what's in there," he said, "Just… don't go in."

Megan pushed past him into the small room. When she saw who was where and what had happened to them, she stopped dead, swaying a little. Charlie was struggling wildly against his bonds, calling to a girl who was motionless in a chair opposite him. Don was also motionless save for his body heaving with heavy breathing. None them were free of blood. Megan regained control of herself and rushed to untie Charlie. Once free, he dove out of the chair towards the girl, his fingers fumbling over the knots. Megan moved over to Don. He was breathing heavily and unevenly, sniffling a little. She made to untie the rope when Don jerked out of the way.

"Don't touch me," he said in a breaking voice, "Don't. I don't deserve it."

Megan just replied, "Don't be silly," and reached for the rope again, but this time Don violently threw himself from her grasp, shouting viciously, "DON'T FUCKNG TOUCH ME, MEGAN! GET AWAY!"

He glared at her angrily. Don's eyes were red and puffy from crying silently, small trails in the blood on his face. His face showed only anger and self-loathing and grief.

"Stop it, Don! Just let me help you!" she half-shouted.

About fifteen feet behind them, Megan heard someone beginning to sob and turned. Charlie's back was to them, his shoulders shaking.

_Don's PoV_

Don sat hunched over in his chair, squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as he could. Each grunt of pain from the girl and pleading scream from his little brother ripped at his heart, clawed violently at his soul. He turned his head in a vain effort to block some of the noise from his mind, but may as well have just beat him for all the pain he could feel inside. He could hear Charlie beg Greene to stop.

"Don! Help me stop him! Please, help me stop him. P-please… D-Don?… DAMMIT, HELP ME! STOP HIM!"

Don turned to look at his brother; he could see Charlie's face go pale. He knew he must be a mess, but he could really care less. This was the worst torture Greene could have ever inflicted. Greene could've hit him, beat him, whipped him, cut him, whatever, and Don would have recovered mentally and physically rather quickly. This… this would never fully go away. Greene swung his hand back again, and Don flinched and turned his head as though he himself was about to be hit. Greene laughed evilly. Don kept his eyes squeezed shut and his head turned. He was not quite sure how long they'd been there like that when there was a loud bang. The door flew open, and he heard Colby bellowing, "GREENE! IF YOU DON'T STOP, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO SHOOT YOU!GREENE! STOP, OR I- PUT THE GUN DOWN! _PUT IT DOWN_! PUT IT-"

_ Bang!_ Greene was suddenly screaming in pain, but Don did not open his eyes. He remained in the same position, breathing heavily. Charlie could be heard beside him, straining wildly to get out of his bonds, audibly crying. There were hurried footsteps coming towards them. Their owner untied Charlie first, who sounded as though he fell out of the chair; Greene was still screaming. The footsteps came towards him. Fingers brushed his arm, and he jerked away from them.

"Don't touch me," he said, his voice breaking, "Don't. I don't deserve it."

"Don't be silly."

It was Megan. Her fingers touched his arm again. He threw himself violently away from her grasp, shouting, "DON'T FUCKNG TOUCH ME, MEGAN! GET AWAY!"

He looked up at her angrily as she half-shouted, "Stop it, Don! Just let me help you!" Don opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he caught sight of Charlie. His back was to them, his shoulders shaking as he began to sob. Apparently, Megan took advantage of this moment of preoccupation to untie him. He stood slowly, the ropes sliding of his torso, and walked over to kneel beside Charlie. Don looked down in front of his little brother and damn near broke down as well.

The girl, Nemo, was a mess. You could barely make out the features of her face through all the blood; it smeared the front of her shirt, congealed in her hair. The coppery stench hung in the air like morbid incense, permeating every inch of his brain.

_ How could this happen?_, he thought sadly, _How?_

_Charlie's PoV_

Charlie's head snapped toward the door when it crashed open. Colby stood in the doorway.

"GREENE! IF YOU DON'T STOP, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO SHOOT YOU!", he was bellowing, "GREENE! STOP, OR I- PUT THE GUN DOWN! _PUT IT DOWN_! PUT IT-"

_ Bang!_ Charlie jumped as a bullet tore through Greene's kneecap. Greene collapsed on the floor, screaming, clawing at the wound. Charlie looked over to Nemo; she wasn't moving.

"N-Nemo? Nemo? Nemo, answer me! NEMO!"

He began thrashing wildly against the ropes that held him fast to his chair. He almost didn't notice Megan come over. She untied him, and he fell out of the chair in his struggle. He scrambled over to Nemo and began to untie the rope that bound her to the chair. His fingers seemed to fumble with the knots, sliding uselessly. He wildly scrambled to undo the knots. Don was shouting in the background as he finally freed her. She slumped over and fell to the floor. She was barely recognisable. Blood had congealed on her face and matted in her hair and covered the front of her T-shirt.

"N-Nemo?… w-wake up," he whispered urgently, "Wake up, p-please…"

Mnemosyne's eyes flickered open and locked with his own. Charlie started to smile, but then he noticed something was wrong. Her eyes had been open much too long. He frantically waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing happened. She did not twitch or flinch or move at all. Her bluish-grey eyes were beginning to glaze over. Mnemosyne Burrowes was dead.

Charlie choked back a sob. He reached out a tentative hand and closed her eyelids. The sobs came faster than he could control them. He had not felt anywhere near this broken since their mother passed on. He could remember the feelings so easily. The feeling that the tears would never stop. The feeling that someone had ripped out part of his soul. Yet, somehow, this was worse. He could've helped her, saved her, if only he'd kept her safe that first day she came to him. The thought only made him cry harder. He felt Don beside him, getting down on his knees. One of Don's hands had found its way to Charlie's back, trying to comfort him. Suddenly, a few feet away, Greene began laughing. The two brothers looked at him murderously.

"You two are so broken up over this pathetic girl!" Greene said through his gritted teeth and malicious grimace, "And I know why! You fools are berating yourselves for not saving her… but it doesn't matter! I would've taken her no matter what!"

He fell into a fit of crazed laughing, blood still pouring between his fingers. The sadness and grief that had overtaken Charlie now turned into boiling rage. He had half a mind to go over and ruthlessly beat the shit out of Greene… but Don beat him to it. Before anyone could stop him, Don was pummelling Greene's face in, cursing him all the while. (It was mostly unintelligible, but Charlie picked out a few phrases such as, "You sick son of a bitch!", "I hope you burn in Hell!", and "How do you fuckin' like it?!") It was a few minutes before Colby and David could pull him off. Charlie got up slowly and began making his way toward Greene, who was now whimpering loudly. Colby led Don out of the room while David intercepted Charlie. The professor put up a terrific fight, shouting insults at the man on the ground ("Yeah, you can give it but you can't take it, can you, you bastard?!")and even getting in a kick to his injured knee. Greene was soon howling in pain, his face bloodied from the blood pouring from his nose and a cut above his eye.

Once David had dragged (or more accurately carried) Charlie to the hallway, and he and Don were calmed down, Megan walked over.

"I called your father," she said to the two brothers, "He's going to meet us at the hospital. Come on, I'll drive you."

Charlie stood stock still for a few moments, as did Don, before being coaxed into the back of the black Tahoe. The professor caught sight of himself in the rear-view mirror and turned away. He couldn't stand the sight of the blood which covered his face. He didn't even want to look at Don, but he also wanted to stay close to him. He gently linked one of his arms with Don's, then wrapped the other around the arm as well, resting his head on Don's shoulder. He soon felt Don's head resting on top of his own.

"I'm sorry for all of this, buddy," Don murmured, "I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault, Donnie… I don't blame you…"

They were silent until they reached the hospital.

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**_Some of you are probably wondering why Megan was giving all the orders... so I'll tell you. whispersBecause I thought it would be cool! talks normal Come on, who doesn't like the idea of a woman in charge? Also, the use of two repetious phrases may have annoyed some people, but it was all for continuity. I think it ties all the PoVs together quite nicely. Anyhoo... Chapter 7 coming as soon as I finish writing it! ( I just realised that I don't know when this is going to be done...)_**


	7. Nightmares

_**Here it is! Just in time for the holidays, it's the new and amazing chapter 7 of PNF! applause Yes, thank you, thank you... now, without further ado...**_

_**Disclaimer: see Chp. 1**

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Alan's PoV

Alan felt his stomach drop and his heart leap into his throat when Megan called. She wanted him to come to the hospital to pick up Don and Charlie. What sort of awful thing had happened to them that Alan had to pick them up at the hospital? He raced to the hospital, probably breaking every traffic law known to man. He stopped only when necessary, and it always felt like it took forever at each stoplight. He damn near ran into the building.

"Eppes," he said to the young woman behind the counter, "My two sons are here, Don and Charlie. Where are they?"

She blinked at him. Alan felt a tap on the shoulder and turned. It was David.

"Where are they? Where are my boys? What happened?"

"Please… calm down. We'll explain everything up there," David replied, "Follow me. They're fine," he added at the look of concern on Alan's face.

Alan was led down the hall to an elevator and taken up to the third floor. He was then shown down another corridor. David pointed to one of the doors, but Megan came out and took him into another room. He opened his mouth to protest, however, Megan cut him off, saying, "Alan, I'm sorry, but you'll be away from them for only a few more minutes. They're still being treated and cleaned up. Did you bring a change of clothes for them?"

"I didn't hear much after 'come to the hospital'," he said irritably, "Now, I want to see my boys! Where are they?!"

"I already told you! They're being treated and cleaned up still. The doctors won't let anyone in. They only let us because we said we wanted to ask questions. I'm sorry, but you just can't get in," Megan replied, "Besides, we want to give them time to calm down a bit. They've been through a lot today. I promise, if they don't explain it, Colby, David, and I will."

"Then you probably ought to tell me now. Neither one of those two will tell me what happened, you know that," Alan said.

He watched closely as Megan sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. She did not seem to relish doing the task she was about to do.

"I don't know who was worse off," she said quietly, "Charlie cried a lot, and Don practically screamed at me. They were… forced to watch as the perp, Jason Greene, tortured and killed a young woman. Mnemosyne Burrowes. She was sixteen. From what we can gather, Greene told them to choose one from amongst themselves for him to torture. I believe Charlie said he would do it, but Greene overruled him and tortured the girl instead. She died shortly after we arrived from her wounds. Um… Charlie… was the one who was with her… when she…passed on. He's very upset."

Alan stood rooted to the spot as Megan continued with, "Judging by what they looked like when we found them, both Don and Charlie were also, to a much lesser extent, tortured. They were… erm… smacked around with a revolver a bit, maybe beat up, but the doctors say they have very treatable wounds. The mental pain, however-"

"Mr. Eppes?" a man's voice said, "If you would follow me, sir?"

Alan shook himself mentally and followed the doctor out of the room.

"Your sons have suffered quite a bit of physical trauma, mostly to the head and face," he said in a rather business-like tone, "We'll want to keep them overnight just to make sure they're alright. Head wounds can do odd things sometimes, sir," he quickly changed his voice to a whisper, "Go on in. They've been asking for you."

Alan nodded. He took a deep breath before walking in. He almost cried at the sight of his boys. Both of their faces were purple and swollen in various spots, little bandages and stitches dotted everywhere. Charlie stood up first, Don only a nanosecond behind him. They almost ran to each other. The three of them were soon enveloped in a tight hug, Don and Charlie each crying audibly on one of their father's shoulders, silent tears rolling down Alan's cheeks as he gently calmed them. The minutes that passed were hours to the Eppes men, hours together, close to one another, in safety.

_My boys_, Alan thought, _my precious boys are safe…_

_Charlie's PoV_

Charlie was, to put it mildly, upset. He had to spend the night in the hospital again, he had just seen someone die, he got beat up, and to top it all off, they had taken Don to a different room. He protested loudly the entire time, refusing to do anything until they brought Don in. He knew he was acting childish, but he didn't want to be alone with strange people anymore.

"Please, Mr. Eppes," the nurse said, "We have to check you out. Your brother's already being looked at. If you can just-"

"No! I want Don! I'm scared!" Charlie half-shouted at the young man.

"If we bring him in, will you promise to do as we ask?" he asked.

Charlie looked at the nurse for a moment before nodding slowly. The young man, Nurse Scott, left the room quickly and went next door. Charlie sat in silence until Nurse Scott returned, Don in tow (along with several nurses and another doctor). Don walked over and sat down beside his little brother, quietly saying, "Buddy… when are you gonna get over your hospital fear? You can't act like this forever."

"It's not that, Don… it's just… this whole day has me messed up," he whispered back, "I just… I didn't want to be alone with people I don't know…"

Don just placed a hand on his back. Charlie looked up at his big brother. The blood had not yet been washed off his face, and there were pallid streaks in it from crying. The doctors came over and asked if they could begin their examination. The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, then consented to the poking and prodding of the doctors. Shots of a local anaesthetic were injected into their faces for the treating and stitching of various cuts and lacerations. Charlie kept his eyes squeezed shut for the shots, clutching Don's hand tightly. They got the blood cleaned off and were out in hospital gowns. After a few minutes, Megan came in with David and Colby. Charlie looked hopefully at the door, waiting for perhaps their father or Amita or Larry to come in… but no one followed; his heart sank.

"Oh, I'm so glad you two are okay!" Megan said, "We were so worried!"

"Yeah, we didn't know if you would be alive or dead," Colby agreed.

"How are you guys feeling?" David asked.

Don opened his mouth, but Charlie cut him off with, "Can you call our dad?"

The three FBI agents blinked for a moment before Megan agreed and stepped out to place the call. Thus, the four men were left in an awkward silence. Colby cleared his throat quietly, and Don scratched his arm. Charlie shifted uncomfortably on the table while David stared at the floor. However, no one spoke in the uncomfortable silence of the exam room. Charlie chewed his lip, praying that someone else would speak but also waiting for Megan to come back. He though about his father, and tears sprang to his eyes. He could picture his father before him (quite unwillingly), the horror and sadness a thick veil over his face. Charlie held back the tears for as long as possible. Colby excused himself to get a drink, David offering to go with him. The two brothers were alone again until Megan came back in several minutes later.

"Your father'll be here as soon as he can," Megan said quietly, "I just got off the phone with him."

"What did you tell him?" Don asked quickly.

"Just that both of you were here and for him to come get you. I would never attempt to convey something like that with a phone call."

Charlie sighed and rested his head on Don's shoulder.

_Don's PoV_

The only acknowledgment Don made to the head of curls on his shoulder was to gently place his on it, as well. Charlie had never before had something like this happen… but neither had Don. Don had been in pain before, several times in fact, but this pain was different. It went much deeper than anything else. He knew what it was now, though. The pain was guilt… because he couldn't save a girl from a sick bastard. Tears he wanted to cry so badly would not fall, as though some inhumane god were punishing him for his inability and weakness. He felt something warm and wet seeping through the thin hospital gown. Casting his eyes downward, he noticed tears dripping slowly from his little brother's eyes.

_I wish I could be like you, buddy_, Don thought sadly, _I wish I could just show whatever emotion I felt when I felt it. I wish I had that freedom…_

The door opened, and the two brothers looked up. Their father stood in the doorway. Charlie jumped up, Don not even a second behind. They ran at each other, throwing their arms around the other two in a tight embrace. Finally, Don broke down, sobbing on his shoulder, Charlie weeping loudly on the other. It felt as though he was being relieved from a whole other torture. His father's voice was calm and steady, but Don knew that he was crying, too. Alan's fingers twitched a little to tighten their grip on his sons' shoulders. It felt like an eternity locked inside that great embrace, but Don would not have left for anything. Even if the building came crashing down around them, they would have stayed. But it was all over too soon.

"I want you to tell me what happened, Donnie," Alan whispered.

Don looked at his father. He should've known what was coming, but he didn't want to tell him anything about _anything_ that had happened to them. He opened his mouth experimentally, to attempt to formulate a good way to tell the story, before voicing his thoughts. He told him everything that had happened, leaving out many of the gorier details. It hurt him to watch his father's face as he recounted his tale. Charlie's face alternated between anger and grief, his reddening or going pale with tears threatening to fall. As Don mentioned the death of Nemo, the tears spilled over, and he cried silently.

"Oh, my… how… why… why did he…" Alan stammered.

"Because I ruined his life! He thought he had done a good job, made some kind of point by torturing and killing these kids… something to do with the Seven Deadly Sins of Man," Don said quietly, "He wanted to punish me."

Alan turned an angry red and began yelling about how the bastard could've done anything else to deal this, like kill himself or kill dogs/small animals instead of taking his precious boys, but Don barely heard him. He had dropped his head to rest on Charlie's. His little brother was still crying silently. The doctor came back a few minutes later.

"The two of you will be kept in observation overnight as a precaution," she said, pointing at Don and Charlie, "You will also, of course, be in the same room. Follow me…"

She led them down the hall a few doors down to a room which held two beds. The brothers were hooked up to the various machines that registered various vitals. They bade their father to go home so he could bring them a change of clothes tomorrow; he left reluctantly. Don felt weary and tired and drifted off to sleep not five minutes later. Mnemosyne's face haunted his dreams, but there was nothing really terrible that could wake him. Eventually, he woke up and laid in a haze of half-awareness until Charlie began screaming in horror beside him. He practically leapt out of bed, disconnecting himself from the machines and dragging the IV pole with him. Don gently tried to wake him but to no avail. Charlie continued to thrash and cry and scream; Don was worried Charlie would rip out his IV. The younger Eppes brother suddenly cried out his brother's name and shot up into a sitting position.

"Oh, God…" he gulped, trying to get ahold of his emotions, "Oh, God… Don…"

Tears poured down his face. Don sat in front of him on the bed. He stared into Don's face for what seemed like forever before finally crumpling into Don's arms, sobbing into his shoulder. One of the nurses came into the room but left quickly. Charlie did not even seem to notice that someone had come in. He continued to sob and cry, his body heaving, his hands clenched tightly around Don's hospital gown. The odd word tumbled out with the sobs, but it was mostly unintelligible. After a minute or so he pulled away and looked up into Don's eyes.

"It was horrible!" he said hysterically, "We were in the room again, but it was just me and you, and Greene came in asking who would die, and you said that you would! Then he started tor-torturing you, and I c-couldn't do anything to help you because I w-was tied t-to a ch-chair again. And I-I g-got scared and-and I screamed for you, but you were d-dead and-!"

"Calm down, Charlie," Don replied quietly, "Please, buddy, calm down. It's okay. I'm not dead; I'm right here with you. It was just a nightmare."

Charlie was still quite upset. Don took his little brother's face in his hands, forcing him to look into his eyes. Charlie's breathing didn't calm much, but it became less like frenzied gasping and wheezing than it was before. Don felt tears well up in his eyes as he continued speaking to Charlie.

"Charlie, I swear to God I will never put you in danger again. Seeing you like this hurts worse than any torture I could ever get… because I love you. Just calm down, buddy… please…"

Then, before he could stop them, the tears rolled down his face, and all he wanted to do was cry. His hands slid off Charlie's face, resting on his shoulders as his own sobs burst forth. He felt a pair of hands on his own cheeks and looked up. Charlie was crying silently, whispering, "Please, Don… don't cry. I hate it when you cry," almost inaudibly. Then, as though communicating silently, the men simultaneously wrapped their arms around each other, one sobbing, the other with silent tears. Don sobbed, "I'm sorry, buddy. I'm just so sorry…" and Charlie replied, "Don't worry. It's not your fault." After several minutes, they both stopped crying, but neither wanted to let go of the other. Don felt himself drifting off to sleep.

He awoke the next morning to sunlight in the window. In his half-aware state, he realised he felt quite warm and cosy. Don opened his eyes a little more and found out why. Charlie's head was resting on his chest, his arms looped about his waist, while Don's arms hung loosely around his upper body. Don smiled a bit.

_We're safe… finally, this nightmare is over…_

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**_Author's Note: I do not condone the killing of small animals to get rid of rage. I like animals. Don't message me and tell me what a horrible person I am for saying it because it is just something a character said. (I'm sure Alan Eppes doesn't kill animals, either.)_**


	8. Epilogue

_**Sorry it's so short... sorry it's the end! **_

_**Disclaimer: see Chp. 1**

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xXx**Epilogue**xXx

Jason Greene was in the hospital for about a month before being released and then tried for two counts of kidnapping and eleven counts of kidnap and murder in the first degree. He was found guilty after the jury heard the stories firsthand from an angry Don and emotional Charlie. It was the shortest deliberation in Don's memory. Greene was sentenced to eleven consecutive life sentences with no hope for parole. The jurors seemed to think it better for him to suffer for a long time than to get a quick death. Not only that, but if they placed him among the general population, the inmates would administer their own brand of justice.

However, even though their physical nightmare was over, Charlie's weren't. All throughout the trial, he was plagued by terrible, violent nightmares of their ordeal. He would wake up screaming and crying and calling for Don. He'd be hysterical for anywhere from several minutes to a half-hour, and Don was the only one able to calm him. During his hysterics, Charlie would always reveal the subject of the dream to be Don's torture and death; occasionally Nemo's fate was added to the mix. Don, too, had nightmares, but his were only periodic and not nearly as bad. Charlie's worst nightmares eventually ceased, coming back only periodically but worse.

Mnemosyne Burrowes was buried a few days after Don and Charlie were released from the hospital. She was interred in a potter's field with a small funeral attended a few people from her high school, Don, Charlie, Don's team, Larry, Amita, and Alan. One of Nemo's friends came over and thanked them profusely for coming. She was sure that Nemo would have been quite pleased.

Charlie was kept out of the affairs of the FBI for a month or two, called only when absolutely necessary. Then, even after that, he stayed from the field for several more months. However, he eventually, after six months, was back doing full work with the FBI and teaching at CalSci. He vowed to go and visit Nemo's grave every year with Don.

_xXx**The End**xXx_

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**_sob It's the end! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and encouraged me to post this sequel! It took me a while, but it was certainly a labour of love. I really hope you all enjoyed it. (And I hope you're all happy with this epilogue. I actually REALLY don't want to write another sequel.) Bye-bye! hugs everyone who reviewed_**


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